Evaluating School Bus Safety During Emergency Situations
Evaluating School Bus Safety During Emergency Situations
Evaluating School Bus Safety During Emergency Situations
Status: Completed 2025
Funding Agency: New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT)
Abstract:
School transportation crashes caused 1,282 fatalities in the United States between 2007 and 2016, including 281 school-age children, according to NHTSA. New Jersey recorded roughly 16,000 school bus related crashes between 2016 and 2024, of which 89 were fatal. P.L. 2019, c. 24 directs the Commissioner of Education to commission a study of school bus safety covering emergency situations, safety technologies, driver qualifications, and current statutory, regulatory, and operational practice. This study identified the risk factors behind school bus crashes, evaluated how well existing safety regulations work, and recommended measures to reduce crash frequency and severity. The methodology combined a review of current practice, structured interviews with public agencies across the Tri-State area, a machine learning analysis of New Jersey crash records, and an assessment of statutory and regulatory requirements. Fatalities were more likely in fixed-object collisions, and severe crashes clustered in winter months and early morning hours. The interviews found gaps in seatbelt enforcement, inconsistency in driver certification, and difficulty holding contractors to maintenance and safety requirements. Onboard cameras and stop-arm enforcement systems work, but cost and policy barriers limit how widely districts adopt them. The report sets out recommendations on seatbelt compliance, regulatory standardization, interagency coordination, safety technology, driver training and certification, student safety training, maintenance policy, and driver distraction.
Investigators: Dr. Mohammad Jalayer, PhD., Dr. Patrick Szary, PhD. (CAIT, Rutgers University), George R. Sabol, Scott Poulton, Brian Mollot
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